5 EASY HOME IMPROVEMENT TIPS THAT CREATE INSTANT APPEAL

Changing the way a home looks doesn’t mean you have to spend big bucks or try and get on a home renovation show.

Sure, it may be tempting to be on TV—but you can get the same kinds of results with a little bit of elbow grease and your own vision. How? You can increase the appeal (and value!) of any home by committing to some simple home improvement tips that are budget-friendly and DIY-worthy.

Here are our top 5 home improvement tips that can transform any home renovation project.

Why spend the time on home improvement?

3 New Year's home improvement projects that can help you get more from your  house

Home improvement is a pretty big topic, especially if you’re the type of person to watch shows or read about the styling, trends, and upgrades that are possible.

But it’s not always about looks– some home improvements are strictly about making the house work better! This means that you could add in a central air unit, move the location of a door, or change the types of windows you have.

No matter what you’re aiming for, home improvement is a valuable way to invest back into your space.

As professionals invested in creating excellent homes, you’ll want to make sure the improvements you make are budget-friendly but still add value.

1. Get out the paint

Home Improvement Sees A Boom – But Will It Last? | PYMNTS.com

Do you notice yourself eyeing the gorgeous color pallets of professionally decorated homes?

Whether you’re a fan of demure earth tones or fun bursts of color over monochrome themes, the simple fix is paint.

If you want to change the entire character stamp of a home, add some fresh paint to your home. You can look online for modern inspiration or hit the store yourself to mix and match.

Changing up the colors inside your home is relatively cheap since most paint gallons cost $30. Compare that to the nearly 1k that most people spend getting professional painters in to do the job.

2. Freshen up your bathroom

5 ways to freshen up your bathroom

The bathroom is one of the most important parts of a home. Sometimes, a nice bathroom can really be the tipping point for a home buyer who is on the fence.

If you want to improve the look of a home’s bathroom without a costly complete overhaul, you’ll want to freshen up a few things. Try adding a new, clean layer of grout and caulk around your bathtub, tiles, and sink. You can also update the finishes, like the sink spout and handles, lighting, and mirror.

3. Bring some color into your garden or window sills

Shelves to be constructed under windows for cat entrance and egress and  potted plants | Outdoor shelves, Window plants, Window planters

When a future buyer drives up to a house, the first thing they’ll notice is the exterior of the home. If it’s lacking luster, spruce it up with some flowers!

There’s no easier way to add some beauty to your home than through landscaping.

Some personal stories online show the huge difference that doing some landscaping yourself can make. Instead of spending $25,000 you could spend $3,000.

Now, that’s still a lot. But, don’t worry, you can spend under $100 to make a total transformation.

Look into flowers and plants that are natural to your area and which will attract bees and birds. You’ll get beautiful blooms and help the environment all at once.

4. Update and add your finishes

One of our favorite home improvement tips is to update and add to the finishes in your home. Every cabinet or door handle, faucets, and light fixtures could all use an update every so often.

Some modern options include hardware that’s bronze, rose gold, mod matte black, or a very sleek steel!

Home finishes don’t just stop at hardware. Think about adding crown molding to the home for additional charm.

You can pick up the materials from any home goods store and, with a few measurements, make a huge difference in your room.

5. Update your filters

Perhaps one of the most practice home improvement tips is this: check your filters.

You’ll want to make sure that the air and water the future homeowners are around is clean at all times. Replace the air filters and remind the new homeowners to do the same around every 90 days– or 60 days if they have pets!

Cleaning out your vents can also help you cut down on allergies and dust getting around so don’t forget those. You can keep track of when to change your water filters as well.

Now, if you really want to take things to the next level, update the filter covers.

Remember those cool finishes we talked about in the previous tip?

With so many people becoming interested in mixing up the traditional parts of their homes, you can find ways to spruce up anything.

That means you can find vent covers in gorgeous colors, patterns, and finishes. So when you’re cleaning up, you can feel even more productive by adding some charm to what’s normally an overlooked part of the home.

And if you ever need help or some advice, don’t hesitate to reach out to us!

Read More

Pest Control in Virginia Beach

Are you looking for some pest and termites control in Virginia Beach? If you are nodding in yes, then we’re right here for you. If the termites and pests have entered your home, then you don’t have to go through it all alone. In such tough times, you all look for a good pest control team. That’s why we are here to make you aware of it.

What do you mean by a Pest?

A pest is any kind of rodent or insect that is considered unwanted because they invade businesses and the homes of people. Also, they cause damage to their property and increase the risk of transmitting an illness or a disease. That’s why pest control becomes necessary. But what is pest control?

Pest control is nothing but the process of controlling and managing the pests, termites, and other insects from the business place or residential place. Controlling and managing the pests can be done using various methods. Usually, they are killed by making use of an exterminator but there are certain methods of human pest control as well. The methods include making alterations around the objects to get rid of the pest’s entry or making use of sound to repel or deter pests.

Averting the pest problem is far more preferable than dealing with one that has already happened… Nevertheless, if the issue still, then there’s no other way: you need to eliminate the pests first.

Wildlife and Insects enter the buildings

All these insects, rodents, and wildlife enter the building to seek shelter, warmth, and food. The areas that generally get affected by them are the basement, attic, and roof. However, the owners of houses can do some of the things and safety measures to ensure that they don’t offer an environment that’s kind of attractive to the insects. For instance, you can keep your home uncluttered and tidy, without any hiding spaces.

Similarly, in the spaces outside your home, you can make sure to not stack firewood or other such items near the house. Also, make sure to keep the branches of trees trimmed and far away from your home. In addition to this, you can seal the areas tightly where insects can enter directly.

Moreover, to control excessive pests, you can take help from pest control services. They can easily check your area to see if the pests are there or not…

Pest Control Services Can Figure Out-

  • The place from where the pests or insects are entering your home.
  • Identify the kind of pest and deal with them if the pests are already there.
  • They can also advise if there’s any kind of damage because of the pests.
  • To prevent the pests from entering, make sure to spray regularly.
  •  Also, they seal off all the places from where pests are entering.

Moreover, some of the services also make use of traps and baits, and some hold specialization in humane insect and pest control and prevention. Also, if there are pets in your home, then they’ll let you know which medicines are harmful to the pets.

Besides, the main aim of pest control is to remove insects, rodents, cockroaches, or any other bugs from the areas where people reside. The type of method used to control the pests depends upon the situation. The humane methods of pest control are becoming more famous but there are certain situations in which they don’t work. Anyway, the aim is to prevent the damage caused by the insects and to lessen the risk of spreading the illness or disease to people.

The Main Features of these pest control are:

✓ Service On the Same Day
As soon as you spot the pests, you need to deal with them immediately. These pest control services offer service as soon as you call them.

✓ 24-hour Open Phone Lines
The pests have no routine, they can enter anywhere in your house. That’s why these services offer telephone services twenty hours a day.

Here are the primary advantages of pest or insect control services

∆ Keeps the disease away

Many pests that keep roaming in our residence transmit diseases that may be without difficulty transmittable to people and animals. Pests may have dangerous results for your fitness and your circle of relative’s fitness. Hence, it’s far vital to recognize the risks arising from the sort of issues your own home is struggling from. Common residence pests along with cockroaches, mosquitoes, fleas can transmit lethal illnesses to people together with plague, malaria, dengue, and notably Asthma! Yeah, you heard it correctly! Cockroaches are pests that could lead to asthma, and additionally, they convey hundreds of thousands of pathogens and micro organism cells at the side them. Therefore, drag those risky species out of your own home.

∆ Reduces fitness risks

The human beings operating in the insect control services are trained, also they have all the information on killing the pests and coping with toxic chemical substances which might be used to kill Insects. That’s why it would not be sensible enough to rent a pest service and allow the specialists to work with the chemical substances rather than us? An incorrect removal technique attempted out with the aid of using ourselves can result in a large twist of fate risking the own circle of relatives contributors’ lives. But whilst technicians want to apply merchandise that may be harmful, they also have the information to make certain the protection of your circle of relatives.

∆ Reduce hypersensitive reactions and itching

Many insect bites can lead to excessive hypersensitive reactions and itching everywhere in the body. However, in case you rent an insect control service to get rid of those stinging insects, then you could save yourself, your circle of relatives, and the contributors from getting attacked with the aid of using those risky bugs. Itching sensations and allergies are broadly speaking resulting from fleas, bed bugs, mosquitoes, spiders, and plenty of others. Therefore, in case you discover any of those bugs living in the corners of your own house, with its entire battalion, then right away name a pest control and inspection service and adequately kill them.

To Sum Up…
Now it’s time to wrap up this article. In this article, we have talked about pest control in Virginia and its benefits. So, we hope that you got all that you needed to know about pest control in Virginia Beach. We believe that this article proved to be helpful for you. So, why wait? Call any of these pest services and they’ll solve all your problems.…

Read More

5 Benefits of Working with a Professional Deck Builder

If you’re building an outdoor deck, you need a good specialist in your corner. Why? Because many homeowners end up frustrated, behind schedule, and over budget — all because they didn’t think it was important to hire a qualified professional.

   

Here are five reasons why your best interest lies in hiring a professional deck builder before you add this feature to your outdoor space.

1. Correct installation

Many people think that building a deck sounds like a relatively simple task, so they try to do it themselves. More often than not, this does not work out ideally. Poor installation and quality of decks can prove extremely dangerous, both during installation and after the fact.

This is especially true for multi-level or second-story decks. Decks have to be built and reinforced in such a way that they will stay upright through all types of weather and weight — that’s where a professional earns their stripes.

 

2. More experience

Professional deck builders get better results in less time because they’ve done it so many times before, in so many different settings. DIY deck building, or hiring an unqualified specialist, will very quickly prove problematic for these reasons. There is simply no substitute for years of experience and hundreds of successful deck projects under the belt.

3. Meeting codes and regulations

Any large addition to your home will require approval from the city. Outdoor decks are no exception. A qualified deck builder will submit the plans for your deck and obtain the needed permission for you. They’ll also be familiar with local building codes and regulations, and will make sure all the I’s are dotted and T’s are crossed.

4. Affordability

Professional deck builders receive discounts on materials from manufacturers and stores, so with the price of labor, it often ends up being close to what you would pay if you did it yourself. And when you consider the long-term value of having a reliable outdoor deck installation from the ground up, it’s definitely more affordable to hire a skilled pro.

5. Getting the tricky angles right

Outdoor decks come in so many different styles and shapes. It’s also worth noting that no two houses or landscapes are exactly the same. This means there are trick angles involved. People who build their own decks often struggle with these details — again, this probably comes down to a lack of experience (plus tools and skills). The advantage of working with a pro deck builder is being able to really go for the design you want, and have every expectation of a flawless result.

Finding the best deck builder in your area

As you begin your search for the best outdoor deck builder in your area, you will likely have to know some rough dimensions of the space so that the builder can give you an accurate estimate for cost and time. Once you’ve signed a contract with a builder, the speed and professionalism with which your deck takes shape is another great benefit.
Good luck with your outdoor deck projects this summer!…

Read More

Home Improvement: 10 Facts You Didn’t Know About Wilson

Wilson was the helpful, intellectual neighbor to the Taylors, but what don’t we know about him?

We all remember Wilson (Earl Hindman) from the 1990s sitcom, Home Improvement. The sagacious, intelligent neighbor that was always helping Tim (Tim Allen) and the rest of the Taylors figure out life, offering quality advice and a listening ear whenever needed. He’s the kind of neighbor we all wished we had (or else inspired us to be better neighbors ourselves). Wilson seems to know just about everything; though Tim didn’t always understand his neighbor’s intellect, he still respected him and highly valued his opinion. That said, here are 10 facts you may not know about one of TV’s most famous neighbors!

10Wilson Has A Ph.D. In Forgotten Languages And Cultures

Wilson’s smart. We all know that. He’s been just about everywhere; he’s seen and done so much out in the world, which is why he’s so knowledgeable and worldly. His house is full of artifacts and he often references history or otherwise offers famous quotes as part of his conversations consisting of advice to Tim. Considering he has a Ph.D. in cultures and languages that most people have overlooked, it’s no wonder Wilson’s information was so well-rounded and interesting. We could all use some of Wilson’s wisdom in our lives.

9Wilson’s Hidden Face

Most of the time, the fence blocks the lower half of Wilson’s face, obscuring it so that the audience is never able to see it. Yet, sometimes, there are instances in which we feel we’re close enough to see the entirety of his face when he’s away from the fence.

RELATED: Home Improvement: 10 Hidden Details You Never Noticed

For example, plants and scarves have also contributed to hiding Wilson’s face from the audience whenever he was away from the fence. If you didn’t notice this trick, take a look back on the rare occasion Wilson was away from the fence and see what you make of it.

8Wilson’s Full Name

Wilson’s full name was actually Wilson W. Wilson. Yes, really. Maybe his parents didn’t have many ideas when it came to names, but at the end of the day, the name suits the character well. Can you imagine Wilson having any name other than “Wilson”? We can’t. We also wonder what the middle initial stands for, but we can make an educated guess: Wilson. At least Wilson is an easy name to remember.

7Hindman Made Extra Efforts To Conceal His Face

At the curtain call following the end of each episode, Hindman carried around a miniature version of a picket fence to hide the lower half of his face from the audience, keeping up the facade of his character on the show. It’s clever and shows his dedication to his character.

RELATED: Home Improvement: 10 Jokes That Have Already Aged Poorly

Anyone in the live audience hoping to get a sneak peek was either amused or disappointed at this gesture. Yet, we have to appreciate that even after an episode, Hindman remained “in character.”

6The Actor That Was Cool With People Seeing Only Half His Face

Most actors seem to be offended whenever they’re given minimal recognition or are otherwise cut so the audience doesn’t see them much–or even at all. Earl Hindman was fine with being cast in a role where the audience would only ever see half his face; we could consider this a rarity in show business. Obviously, he had to be fine with this on some level, otherwise, we wouldn’t have had eight seasons with Wilson in the cast! Perhaps Hindman favored the anonymity, perhaps he liked having something of a mysterious aspect around his character and around himself as an actor as people tried to guess what he looked like when they could see his entire face. Whatever the reason, Hindman went with the flow.

5Wilson’s Popularity

According to a poll conducted on IMDb, Wilson comes in fourth place when it comes to unseen TV characters that audiences would like to see. Considering the number of unseen characters on TV shows, from Howard’s mother on The Big Bang Theory to Robin Masters on Magnum, P.I., and even Ugly Naked Guy on Friends, audiences have an array of unseen characters to choose from. That said, it’s impressive that Wilson’s character ranks in the top five. Luckily, audiences got their wish, which brings us to…

4We Finally See Wilson’s Face!

In the series finale curtain call, audiences got to see Wilson’s face for the very first time. Not just half of it, but the entirety of it! Finally getting to see Wilson as a whole was satisfying to audiences, especially those who had hung around as loyal viewers since the series’ very first episode in 1991.

RELATED: Tim Allen Says Home Improvement Reboot ‘Has Been Floated’ 

At least the series didn’t leave us wondering if they’d ever reveal the face of one of its main characters; things were wrapped up nicely on Home Improvement. 

3The Running Gag On Wilson’s Words

Whenever Tim approached Wilson for advice, it wasn’t uncommon for Wilson to include a famous quote, a reference of historical value, or something of the like to help Tim either understand or solve whatever situation he’d come to Wilson with. That said, one of the running gags on the show was how Tim would pretty much butcher Wilson’s words whenever he tried to repeat them. Poor Wilson’s carefully thought-out advice and wisdom was misused and sadly misinterpreted (after all, Tim doesn’t always understand everything Wilson says), but thankfully, it’s one of the comedic points of the show so we forgive Tim for it. We’re assuming Wilson does, too, since he knows how his neighbor can be.

2The Fan Theory

Wilson is someone that everyone looks up to, especially Tim. He’s practically the Yoda of neighbors; he’s always got an answer for everything and he knows so much about so many topics. There’s nothing Wilson can’t do. A fan theory on Reddit has been constructed from this observation, and it goes like this: since Tim is a carpenter and receives infinite wisdom from his mysterious neighbor, it makes him Jesus Christ. Tim then goes around trying to spread the lessons he learns from Wilson, who is considered God-like. It almost makes sense, Wilson as God and Tim as Jesus, but most likely they’re just two regular guys that happen to exhibit certain qualities.

1Wilson’s Character Origination

Wilson’s character is quite unique. He’s wise, he’s been everywhere, he willingly helps out Tim and his family though he has no obligation to. He’s the kind of neighbor people wish they had. In a world where many of us don’t know our neighbors, Wilson makes us want to know them just to see if we can find a Wilson in our own backyards. The character of Wilson himself comes from a childhood memory of Tim Allen’s in which Allen was too short to see his neighbor over the fence, so he couldn’t see his neighbor. It’s funny how actors apply real life to a sitcom and turn it into something memorable for us all to enjoy.

Wilson is without a doubt one of our favorite characters not just on Home Improvement, but on television as a whole. The double entendre of Home Improvement is a perfect example of why the Wilson character was so popular: not only was Tim trying to teach audiences to use tools and to remodel homes, but he was also learning how to handle family life at home too (which more often than not required Wilson’s input).

Read More